Twisted halloween cocktails

by Ed Biado

I’ll admit that my taste in cocktails is quite vanilla. Just give me glass after glass of Bacardi Coke and I’m all set for the night. But there are thousands of concoctions out there and one of the biggest party excuses, Halloween, gets its fair share. Given the spooky theme, the names of these—shall I call them—poisons are just as interestingly creepy. But don’t worry, they taste divine. Screw Bloody Mary (hah!); here are 10 “disgusting” mixes you can suck dry:

1. Voodoo Caesar

Rim a tall glass with lime juice and seasoning salt. Fill it with ice, add the following ingredients and stir.

6 oz. tomato juice

2 tsp. lime juice

1/8 tsp. Tabasco hot sauce

1 oz. vodka

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2. Bayou Slime

Muddle 6 fresh mint leaves and 2 oz. spiced syrup together. Place that, together with the following ingredients into a shaker.

4 oz. dark rum

1 egg white

Shake until well-chilled and frothy. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with additional crushed mint leaves.

3. Coffee of the Damned

Add all the following ingredients in a large mug.

1/2 oz. tequila

1 oz. brandy

1 oz. scotch

1 tbsp. sugar syrup

Then, stir in a cup of coffee and float some lemon zest on top. Add a topping of whip.

4. Halloween Cocktail

Mix the following ingredients in a shaker with ice.

2 oz. bourbon

3 oz. orange juice

juice of half a lemon

Then, pour into a tall glass. Top with ginger ale and garnish with olives.

5. White Witch

Mix all ingredients in a blender at low speed for 10 seconds. Serve in a chilled sherbet or wine glass.

1/2 cup vanilla ice cream

1 oz. vodka

1 oz. white crème de cacao

6. Black Witch

Mix all ingredients with ice in a shaker and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

1/2 oz. pineapple juice

1 1/2 oz. gold rum

1 tsp. apricot brandy

1 tsp. dark rum

7. Blood-red Lime Rickey

Muddle the following ingredients in a shaker until juicy and fragrant.

6 fresh cherries, pitted

1/2 lime, cut into 3 wedges

2 teaspoons sugar

Add 3 oz. gin and crushed ice. Cover with a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously, or stir, until combined and chilled, about 30 seconds. Serve in a whiskey glass.

8. Blood & Sand

Mix all ingredients with cracked ice in a shaker or blender. Pour into a chilled old fashioned glass.

3/4 oz. cherry brandy

3/4 oz. orange juice

3/4 oz. scotch

3/4 oz. sweet vermouth

9. Brain

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add all the ingredients. Stir until well chilled and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a fresh lychee fruit.

1/2 oz. sake chilled

1 1/2 oz. lychee nectar

1 1/2 oz. gin

10. Devil’s Tail

Mix all ingredients with ice in a blender. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Twist lime peel over drink and drop into glass.

1/2 oz. apricot liqueur

1/2 tsp. grenadine

1/2 oz. lime juice

1/2 oz. vodka

1 1/2 oz. gold rum